Razzouk, 30, who worked for North Carolina-based RTI International as part of the firm's local governance project in Najaf, supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, was released Thursday.

CNN: Freed aid worker: Kidnapping a 'nightmare'

"Both Coke and Pepsi try to do business as ethically as possible, but when you have local partners who are not subject to the same governance and scrutiny as in the U.S., then sometimes local behaviors take place, " says one former Pepsi executive who worked in Latin America.

FORBES: The Red Empire

New forms of media can play a crucial role to capitalize the positive practices embedded in indigenous cultures by fostering synergies between modern services and local knowledge and assist communities in taking full advantages of their social assets - the knowledge, culture and governance systems.

UNESCO: Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices